On the front page of this Brentwood News you can see the latest vision for Charlie Munger’s proposed project on San Vicente. It would replace the Barry Building, where Duttons used to be, plus several other surrounding structures.
We include additional information about this project on page 26 of the print edition. Almost everyone agrees the project looks very nice. Almost everyone also agrees that the latest name selected for the project – Green Hollow Square – sounds pretty silly. (Up until recently, the project was called Brentwood Town Green.)
When I first heard “Green Hollow Square,†I thought to myself, “they might as well call it Blue Solid Circle.â€
Then I thought maybe “Green Hollow Square†was picked by the developers so everyone could complain about the name instead of the project. The project – which still has several hurdles to jump – could then slip through (and the name could be changed later).
I invite anyone with a better name to send it to me at: jeffhall@brentwoodnewsonline.com. We’ll publish all the entries next month (and forward them to Charlie Munger).
Let me start the bidding with “Brentwood Commons.†“Commons†implies a central gathering area where all are welcome. We don’t really have that in Brentwood.
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Something is brewing at the VA (so what else is new?).
A group of veteran protestors called The Old Veterans Guard, led by Brentwood resident Robert Rosebrock, gathers every Sunday afternoon at Wilshire and San Vicente to press their claims that the VA land isn’t being used for its original purpose – a permanent home for disabled veterans.
Back in 1888, two local families contributed the land to the federal government for the establishment of an Old Soldiers Home. Over time, the VA was given administrative control over the 387-acre property.
The VA’s recently published draft “master plan†calls for the construction of a hospital building, expansion of administrative offices and the building of a columbarium (for cremated remains).
The draft master plan generated much public comment. Local homeowners found the plan “vague†and were left with concerns that the VA might find uses for the property they would find incompatible with the surrounding neighborhoods.
Lauren Bon, head of The Metabolic Studio (a charitable cause supported by the Annenberg Foundation), sponsored the preparation of a 30-page talking paper supporting the position of The Old Veterans Guard (see pages 10 -12).
Then the ACLU jumped in and said it too would take up the cause of returning the land to its original use – a home for disabled soldiers.
But the VA says it sees its primary mission as providing medical services, and not housing. Advocates for homeless veterans find this particularly vexing, saying it’s a moral imperative to get as many homeless veterans off the streets as possible.
Many of these individuals went off to war in okay shape; the ravages of battle caused them to come home broken. They served for us then; it seems we owe them whatever effort is required to do right by them now.
The VA is rehabilitating three buildings on campus for the purpose of treating homeless veterans, but even under a best case scenario, maybe 300 veterans a year could receive treatment.
Some say the number of homeless veterans in the area could be as high as 20,000; the VA thinks the number is closer to 7,000. But even using the VA’s estimate of 7,000 homeless veterans in the area, it would take 23 years to help those in need. By then, many of these folks will be dead.
The VA does assist homeless veterans by providing them vouchers which can be used to secure housing through the Dept. of Housing and Urban Development, which some veterans say is sub-standard at best.
The VA property is quite large. If there is a groundswell of public opinion to do more to house disabled and homeless veterans, and if the VA doesn’t see itself as the correct branch of government to provide housing, then the answer seems simple: The VA should deed over a big chunk of land to HUD, which could take it from there. The VA could provide medical and mental health services; HUD could provide housing.
There is precedent for this; a few years ago, the VA deeded over several acres of land to the State of California, which built the retirement home that opened last June.
Returning veterans need medical services, without a doubt. But many need more than this. The ones who are particularly shot up – physically or psychologically – need to be cared for. They need a home.
Some residents in the area fear an influx of drug or alcohol impaired veterans. Surely this is a problem that can be managed.
Instead of fearing our returning veterans, Brentwood should embrace these heroes as our special cause. With the right attitude, a perceived negative could be turned into a very real positive.
